Thread by @mini_bubbly

I wanted to create a thread connecting the Ford Family and the developers in which he is working with - the years of their involvement with each other and their current interests in keeping the Ford's in power in Ontario. Bear with me here, I am no journalist, nor do I /1

Michael Ford is now an MPP under Doug Ford - and was appointed Minister of Immigration recently. Info here in this article, with links to other news articles. /4nowtoronto.com/news/rob-ford-…

Rob and Doug Ford connections to developer Mario Cortellucci - donations made to their election platforms. /5 https://t.co/lOUG2YzS5rpressprogress.ca/far-right-ital…

The Fords and the Cortellucci's, I believe are making back room deals.

Connections - Ford gets elected with funding help via donations by the Cortellucci family, the family has big development idea's with the Greenbelt and Ford with his powers as elected Premier uses his power/6

of influence to change MZO's - Greenbelt area, this video of Ford stating he is doing it for affordable housing, but that is not the case. He is doing it because of deals he's made with his rich donors. /7
Video:


Article: https://t.co/14pNn1Gz0S
pressprogress.ca/doug-ford-made…

Vaughn Hospital renamed for the Cortellucci family due to being a top donor /8

pressprogress.ca/ontario-hospit…

I want to remind everyone of this video that the Harper government tried to get suppressed from social media. Harper discussing a Political Dynasty and taking over every level of government in Canada. /9

Ford also wants to allow developers to hire their own inspectors - Doug Ford is voicing his support for a plan that could allow developers to hire their own building inspectors.

CBC Toronto was first to report on the government's idea of creating a Certified Professionals /10

Program that would allow architects and engineers to undergo additional training in the work that city inspectors do.

Under the plan, developers could then hire the newly-minted professionals, instead of calling in city inspectors to approve their progress. The City of /11

Toronto is already voicing opposition, saying that raises a number of concerns including possible conflicts of interest. /12

cbc.ca/news/canada/to…

The new highway developments that rip right through Farmland in the Greenbelt - that help the Developers that donate to Doug Ford /13 thenarwhal.ca/highway-413-br…

Excerpt from article: The year after the PCs revived the idea, they promised to “streamline” the environmental assessment for Highway 413, which would allow the province to allow work on bridges & other early construction to begin before the review is completed. In 2020, they /14

also passed a bill to water down Ontario’s environmental assessment regime overall.

Grassroots opposition to the 413 started to simmer over the winter. By the spring, it had hit a boiling point. Under pressure from residents, a flurry of municipalities along the route and /15

even some local conservatives pulled their support for the 413. In April, an investigation by Torstar and National Observer found eight powerful developers, many of them prolific PC donors, owned over 3,300 acres of land near the highway’s proposed path, which could /16

skyrocket in value if the highway was built. Some of the developers had hired lobbyists with ties to the PCs, including Mulroney’s former campaign chair. In the meantime, environmentalists had asked the federal govt to step in and assess the 413 and the Bradford Bypass, /17

a 16-km connection between Highways 400 and 404. The federal environment minister at the time, Jonathan Wilkinson, announced in May that Ottawa would intervene on the 413, citing concerns whether the provincial process would address environmental concerns. The process is /18

more rigorous than what the Ontario government had planned, and could delay the highway for months or possibly years. /19

Ontario Premier Doug Ford (top centre) & developers (from left to right) Mario Cortellucci, John Di Poce, Elvio De Meneghi, Silvio Guglietti,

Michael De Gasperis and Benny Marotta. (Ford photo by Cole Burston, others from Torstar files)

INVESTIGATION: Developers with ties to Ford government stand to cash in on Hwy. 413 /20

nationalobserver.com/2021/04/03/inv…

Most of the developers in the group are also prolific PC donors, contributing at least $813,000 to support the party since 2014.

The group of developers own 39 properties covering 3,300 acres that are conservatively valued at nearly half a billion dollars, according to land /21

registry documents. The value of those lands could rise dramatically if the highway is built & residential, commercial & industrial development is allowed to spread along the route. See article above to review each developer who owns which portion of land along this highway. /22

Connections to Ford and developers in graph: /23

Each of the developers donated to the Progressive Conservatives. Three also gave to the third-party conservative group Ontario Proud.

About $753,000 went directly to the party, with another $60,000 to Ontario Proud. /24

TACC Developments is also part of Nashville Developments, a consortium of developers that includes Fieldgate and donated $50,000 to Ontario Proud in 2018. See graph in news article. /25

Special orders fast-tracked development near the 413
While city councils can revamp their official plans, such changes can take years to materialize.

The province has a way for developers to skip the wait. They’re called minister’s zoning orders, or MZOs, and the /26

Ford government has used more of them since 2018 than the previous government did in 15 years.

The orders — made by Ford’s Municipal Affairs Minister Steve Clark and in the face of mounting criticism — are unappealable.

/27

“We will never stop issuing MZOs for the people of Ontario,” Ford said on March 9.

Three Ford government MZOs cleared the way for projects near the 413.

One issued in Vaughan in April 2020 approved developers’ plans to demolish three protected wetlands where /28

development is normally forbidden, and replace them with a massive Walmart distribution centre. The land sits near the point where the 413 would join Highway 400. /29

The connections and the power of influence spans across the government of Ontario, housing, zoning, infrastructure, healthcare, schoolboard. /30

@GordHawkins Yikes big typo there..his kids lol meant to say his family

An addition to my thread about Doug Ford - I was trying to find this news article: Many Lobbyists and Corporations registering from Private Health Companies to push to privatize or outsource Health Services in Ontario.

/31

The Facilities that are lobbying Ford are:

Virtual Care
Testing & Lab Services
Independent Health Facilities /32

Here is the article from Press Progress

pressprogress.ca/here-are-all-t…

New: Ford giving strong mayor powers to advance Ford’s policies and legislation.
The "strong mayor" legislation would, when passed, give mayors of Toronto and Ottawa more power to advance provincial priorities, most specifically when it comes to housing development. /33

Mayors would also be able to draft a budget themselves or veto certain council approvals that go against the province's priorities--though councillors can override a mayoral veto with a two-thirds vote. /34 beta.ctvnews.ca/local/ottawa/2…

The new powers he is giving the mayors as outlined in this article: /35
These powers effectively reduce the team approach and give one man power overall to make decisions.

beta.ctvnews.ca/local/toronto/…

/36 Ford and Developers - selling off the Greenbelt cbc.ca/news/canada/to…

/37 Ford Stag and Doe - Developers all connected? toronto.citynews.ca/2023/02/15/dou…

/38 Ford - Greenbelt - Federal review toronto.ctvnews.ca/greenbelt-is-o…

/39 AG Report on the Greenbelt with details - August 2023

/40 AG Video of report - Greenbelt part 1

/41 AG Video of report - Greenbelt part 2